Sermons by Michael Howell (Page 10)
Michael Howell
The Parable of the Four Soils
Matthew 13:1-23 The parable of the soils challenges us to ask the question, “which soil am I?” How do we respond to Jesus and his word? Is my heart fertile soil for Jesus’ words?
Blessed Assurance
Romans 4:13-25 Because our justification rests entirely on grace, we can be sure that we are right before God. This assurance changes everything. It gives us a secure identity, it frees us from having to find assurance elsewhere, and it gives us true joy!
No Boasting
Romans 3:27-4:12 Paul continues his argument that all human beings can only be made right with God by faith in Christ, pointing to Abraham, whose faith was “credited to him as righteousness.” Because our righteousness does not depend on our works, boasting is excluded.
Samson
Judges 13-16 In this message, we explore Samson’s life in five “episodes.” We see a man with incredible strength, but who is otherwise, impulsive, self-centred and vengeful. Samson’s story causes us to ask some serious questions of ourselves. Above all, Samson points us to Jesus, the far better Saviour, who in his weakness delivers us from our great enemies.
No one righteous
Romans 3:1-20 Paul concludes his long charge against humanity, showing that all are under the power of sin. This text leaves us feeling the weight of our sin and our need for Jesus, who alone can make us right with God.
A Mighty Warrior?
Judges 6-8 We can learn from Gideon’s story at two levels. When we look at Gideon the warrior, we see how God taught this weak man lessons about God’s presence, promises and power, before using him to deliver God’s people. But when we look at Gideon the worshipper, we see a man who failed miserably, leading God’s people to worship foreign gods rather than the one true God. From here, things only get worse for God’s people.
A new day dawns
John 20:11-18 John’s Gospel records Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus. Today, we reflect on the significance of what Mary saw, heard and said that first Easter Sunday, and celebrate, with Mary, this fact – Jesus has risen!
Worshiping created things
Romans 1:18-32 Why does every single human being need to put their trust in Jesus? In Romans 1-3, Paul answers this question. He proves that true righteousness can only come through faith in Christ. Today we look at part one of his argument – the messed up state of our world is proof that we have suppressed the truth about God and that he is angry at sin.
The right(?) man for the job
Judges 3:12-30 The story of Ehud is designed to make us laugh, especially at the cartoonish king of Moab, Eglon. And yet even as we laugh, we’re also forced to think, about our greatest problem, our unlikely deliverer and our mighty God, who laughs at those who stand opposed to him (Ps. 2:4)
God’s good news
Romans 1:1-7 In Paul’s greeting to the church at Rome, we learn about Paul’s message and his mission. Listen as we think about why Paul wrote Romans and why it is such an important letter for us to read today.
Carry each other’s burdens
Ephesians 4:11-16 God calls us to care for each other by carrying each other’s burdens. Today we explore Ephesians 4:11-16, thinking through why we’re all called to care for each other, and what it looks like for us to do this in practice.
Boldness in Prayer
As Christians, we’re called to the good work of prayer. But sometimes the good work of prayer might feel more like hard work. If that’s how we feel, then the Scriptures have some encouragement for us. Let us consider three truths about God which remind us that prayer can be simple, and be encouraged to press on being a church which boldly depends on God in prayer.